Dear Alumni and Friends,
And the show goes on! Coming off a historically successful 2024-2025 season, we have not slowed down. Due to logistical reasons the editorial deadline for this letter was before the Head of the Charles, but there were plenty of other great events I will report on:
VRA Going Green!
As most of you know, VRA and the UVA women were able to use gasoline powered coaching launches on the Rivanna Reservoir for decades, thanks to a special permit from the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA). In January 2025, we were given a very short deadline to finally fully convert to all-electric motors for our launches. We got under a time crunch because the original electric power system that the UVA women tested and started buying became unavailable due to financial problems of the company (PureWaterSystems). Thankfully, we were able to identify a different company and supplier, the ELCO Motor company. Besides their quality outboard motors, ELCO is also partnering with Solid State Marine, a U.S. company – and the first to bring a solid-state marine battery pack to market, which has significant advantages over conventional LithiumIon batteries, including safety, energy density, charging speed, and longevity.
We converted our four coaching launches over the summer, finishing this process right at the start of the fall season. The financial commitment, however, is monumental, and we are now in the process of fundraising $75,000 this year in addition to our regular operating budget. Furthermore, safe and heavy-duty wiring needed to be done on the dock to be able to charge these batteries for the launches after practice.
Although we embrace the fact that we are using clean energy to run our practices, this was also a decision pushed upon us by the local authorities. To run our program, it had to get done. We are exploring potential grants and financial support. Please email me if you have any! We are also looking for additional donations; we have some naming opportunities available as well!
Outlook for 2026
After the epic 2025 spring season, we will not step back. During my post-ACRA team address, I told the team that one of the most powerful aspects of our National Champion V8 and 2V8 is that they are not special. By that, I mean that there wasn’t a single “physiological The 2025 V8 with their championship trophy V8 at the start to winning their semi-final at ACRA A special treat to the V8 the day after they lost to Harvard. They got to enjoy the floating lawn all by themselves. That never happens! freak” or “technique wizard.” They were just regular guys. But they were standouts in regard to their commitment, their buy-in, their mutual support, and how much fun they had. And that can be repeated! There are four important aspects right now that make very optimistic for 2026:
- Rookies: The first-years this year are very different from the past two years. They are outgoing, energetic and have go-getter attitude. They are also the first post-Covid class that was significantly less affected by the pandemic during their high school years.
- The second-years stepped up over the summer: yes, the same class that was at the bottom of the B-Final in the N8 last spring came back ready to go – and they are awesome!
- The two Top 8’s are as good as last year: perhaps it’s a little early for a prognosis, but seeing them going after it and going fast is awesome. Their rowing is not even good yet – so there is a very high ceiling for this group.
- Coaching Staff: Despite some changes, including losing Cailly O’Toole (who made a major impact on the team last year, but received an irresistible offer from the University of Washington women’s team) we once again have a kick-ass staff. We welcomed Ian Jenkins from Purdue University as apprentice coach and Hannah Hardy, a CrossFit Games athlete and chiropractor, as performance coach.
The fall season will be exciting and fun. We specifically keep pointing out that we do not have any expectations result-wise. Our focus is on the process and a solid winter training phase. We lost six of the eight rowers from the 2025 V8 – there is a plenty of work ahead and much to learn, but there is also a lot of opportunity!
Go Hoos!
Frank G. Biller
Director of Rowing & Head Coach